Apparatus for printing labels and a self-releasing print roller therefor

<u style="single">Background of the invention</u>The present invention relates to an apparatus for printing product labels, such as those used on the packaging of foods and other products. More specifically, the present invention relates to printing and transporting a lineless label, specifically removing the linerless label from the surface of a print roller to prevent the label from clogging the printer. It is about the means for. Also proposed are self-peeling print roller systems for use in label printers that are effective against linerless labels. In product commercialization plans, such as in the retail food business, products are typically wrapped, calibrated, and labeled. This presents prices, quantities, and other information about the product. Label stock is supplied in two forms. That is, it is supplied in a form with a liner and a form without a liner. Typically, the label is made of thermal paper and has an adhesive on the back. Therefore, the label is adhered to the label. Labels with a liner are supplied on a continuous release liner, such as paper coated with silicone all over. The main drawback of using traditional lined label stock is that used liners must be collected and discarded. Lined labels typically require a take-up reel to be placed inside the printer. Linerless label stock is supplied without the need for back-coated paper with silicone. Instead, the label has a printable surface coated with a non-greasy material such as silicone. Therefore, the adhesive surface of the label does not stick so much to the printed surface when wound in the form of a roll. However, linerless labels are often inconvenient to use. The reason is that when the label stock is transported in the printer, the adhesive may come into contact with it or stick to the transport means. Is. This is especially problematic when thermal printheads are used in the printer. This is because when the printhead is pressed against the label, it is pressed against the print roller and the label is adhered to the print roller. If the label adheres too tightly to the print roller, the label will be placed between the print roller and the pick or guide or other means used in the printer to remove the label from the roller. It's not hard to imagine getting stuck in. Both Uland's US Pat. No. 5,437,228 and European Patent No. 637,547 disclose equipment for printing linerless labels. To prevent the label from sticking to the printing mechanism, the label is transported within the printer on an endless belt formed from or coated with a peelable material. The belt surrounds the print roller. While this improves things, it does not completely solve the problem in that the label can stick to the belt in some way. Also, the belt is easily damaged. Uland's US Pat. No. 5,497,701 also discloses a printer with an overall flat pick mounted parallel and adjacent to a print roller. The pick is made of plastic and has a plurality of grooves extending downstream from the print roller inside. The pick peels off the tip of the label from the print roller. The use of such picks has drawbacks. That is, the label can stick to the pick. Especially when left unattended all night, they stick together. In addition, the label can sometimes get stuck between the print roller and the pick, and the permissible spacing between the pick and the roller is difficult to set and maintain. No. 701 discloses a printer with an overall planar pick mounted parallel and adjacent to the print roller. The pick is made of plastic and has a plurality of grooves extending downstream from the print roller inside. The pick peels off the tip of the label from the print roller. The use of such picks has drawbacks. That is, the label can stick to the pick. Especially when left unattended all night, they stick together. In addition, the label can sometimes get stuck between the print roller and the pick, and the permissible spacing between the pick and the roller is difficult to set and maintain.<u style="single">Outline of the invention</u>The present invention provides a printer comprising a print roller having an annular recess and at least one stripper blade attached to the recess of the roller. The rotation of the print roller transports the label to a position below the print head. At a position below the printhead, the label is printed and then the label moves to the stripper blade. The stripper blade lifts the label from the surface of the print roller and guides the label to the exit slot of the printer. The stripper blade extends from the lower position of the label in the recess to the upper position of the roller surface, so that the label is easily and surely peeled off from the roller. Also, due to the material of the print rollers, the size of the recesses, and the size and position of the stripper blades, the recesses do not adversely affect the print quality on the label. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for printing a linerless label such that the label can be easily peeled off after the label comes into contact with the surface of the printing roller. A new print roller configuration is also provided. The printer preferably extends into a roller having a self-peeling surface for receiving the sticky surface of the label, at least one recess provided on the roller surface, and at least partially in the recess. It is equipped with at least one stripper blade. The stripper blades are configured to guide the label to lift it away from the roller surface as the roller rotates. It is also a device for printing a label having an adhesive surface and a non-adhesive printing surface, and has a print head for printing a symbol on the printing surface of the label; and a print roller supports the label. Sometimes with a print roller that is placed close to the printhead and can hold the printed surface of the label in the vicinity of the printhead and also has at least one recess; It is equipped with at least one stripper blade that extends into the recess and is configured to lift the label and peel it off when the roller rotates, away from the surface of the print roller. The device can also be used for lined labels by adding a take-up reel. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a double hardness type print roller for a label printer. In this case, a first annular relatively hard material is attached on the shaft, and a second annular relatively soft material is coaxially supported on the first material. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be made clearer by the following description, accompanying drawings, and attached claims.<u style="single">[Simple explanation of drawings]</u>Hereinafter, the drawings will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a weigh scale incorporating an embodiment of a label printing apparatus according to the invention for use with a linerless label stock. FIG. 2A is a side view showing the print roller assembly in detail. FIG. 2B is a side view showing an alternative embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2C is a side view showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the print roller assembly portion of the printing apparatus. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a print roller and stripper blade assembly. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a print roller effective in the present invention. 6A, 6B, and 6C are diagrams schematically showing the relationship between the stripper blade and the print roller.<u style="single">Detailed description of preferred embodiments</u>The printing apparatus of the present invention can be used for various applications. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that they can be individually configured as independent or as portable. It will also be appreciated that the printer can be integrated into other devices as a component. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a weighing scale (scale) incorporating the printer 16 according to the present invention, and is shown with reference numeral 10 as a whole. The weighing scale 10 includes a housing 12 and a dish 14. These housings 12 and dishes 14 have the same configuration as before, and they are provided here to form a frame, and inside, there is a printer for which usage and operation will be explained. It is illustrated. The label printer 16 has a slot 20 in which the printed label is ejected from the printer. Although the label printer 16 according to the invention is configured for use with linerless label stock, one feature of the configured configuration is that the printer can also accommodate lined stock. The present invention is illustrated using a linerless stock. The label stock is arranged on a roller 22 which is detachably attached in the printer 16. The label stock has a printed surface 23 and an adhesive surface 25. Symbols, characters, and the like can be printed on the printing surface 23 by the print head 24 or other printing means. The adhesive surface 25 serves the function of attaching a label to the product. The printer 16 includes a print roller assembly labeled with reference numeral 26. As shown in detail in FIGS. 2-4, the print roller assembly 26 has a print roller 27. The print roller 27 is driven around a shaft 28 and has at least one stripper blade 32. With multiple blades, one stripper blade should theoretically suffice to remove the label from the print roller. Is generally preferred. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, two blades are used. However, in other embodiments, three or more blades may be used, depending on the width of the print roller. The spacing between the blades depends on the stickiness of the label, the roller material, and the sticking tendency of the label to the rollers. In general, it is desirable that the blades are not too far apart. This is because the label can bend between the blades and interfere with the aperture as the label is ejected from the printer. The surface 30 of the print roller 27 is preferably formed of an elastic and self-peeling material such that the label has minimal adhesion to the adhesive surface 25. The term "self-peeling surface" means a surface that exhibits sufficient peelability for the label to be lifted from the roller surface by the stripper blades, as described above. The stripper blade lifts the label off the roller surface and peels it off. This prevents the label from getting stuck in the printer. One of the advantages of such a stripper system is that it can increase the degree of freedom in material selection for print rollers and label stock. The reason is that the stripper blade has a low adhesive strength but a large adhesive strength compared to other printers and can remove labels without clogging. The stripper blade 32 can be formed from a variety of materials. The stripper blade must be formed from a material that is thin enough to fit within the recesses of the roller and from a material that is solid enough to strip the label from the roller surface. It has been found to be particularly desirable to cut the blade from a 10 milliinch polyester film, such as polyethylene terephthalate, which is marketed by DuPont under the Mylar brand name. However, when using a harder material, 5 milliinch The blade can be made thinner, such as a thick stainless steel blade. Those skilled in the art will be able to select other materials such as other metals and plastics and their equivalents. FIG. 2C shows an embodiment in which metal wires are used. In forming the stripper blade and in selecting the constituent materials of the stripper blade, what is important is the width of the recess of the print roller. These recesses should not be too wide so that they do not interfere with label printing. In particular, when using a thermal printhead, the heat released from the printhead is not wasted and the label is heated to a temperature at which the thermal coating on the label surface can react for image formation. To obtain, the label must be in contact with or in close proximity to the printhead. Preferably, the recess is as narrow as possible, eg, about 10-16 milliinch wide. The recesses must be deep enough to prevent the stripper blades from riding onto the surface of the print rollers on the print line below the printhead. Otherwise, the stripper blades can adversely affect printing. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 6, the stripper blade can be flush with respect to the surface of the print roller. This can provide uniform and flat support to the label during printing and can provide good print quality when the blade is below the surface of the print roller at the print position. it can. 6A and 6B schematically show the relationship between the stripper blade 32 and the surface 30 of the print roller 27. If the surface portion of the print roller 27 is made of relatively soft rubber, the roller surface will block the recess above the blade 32 when subjected to linear pressure from the print head. .. This allows the label to be back-supported when printed. A substantially uniform thermally insulating surface such as is provided. Instead, as shown in FIG. 6B, the upper end of the stripper blade 32 can be flush with the top surface 33 of the recess 34. Again, this can provide a uniform back support surface for the label during printing. Although the blade configurations shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B are desirable, these blade configurations are relatively expensive and relatively difficult to manufacture due to the materials used and the uniformity to be achieved. .. FIG. 6C shows a more typical embodiment in which the blade 32 is located below the surface of the roller 27. This configuration is satisfactory as long as the recess is narrow enough so that it does not adversely affect the print. The stripper blade can have various configurations. FIG. 2A shows an embodiment when the stripper blade is a long finger, FIG. 2B shows an embodiment when the stripper blade is a fork, and FIG. 2C shows an embodiment where the stripper blade is a spiral spring. An embodiment in the case of a wire with a stripper is shown. A hole can be provided at one end of the blade to secure it in the printer. An alignment bar or mounting bar 38 that penetrates this hole at one end of the blade can be mounted on the printer. Stripper blades are preferably about 0. It can be 015 inches or less wide. As a result, the surface area for adhering the label can be minimized, and the stripper blade is less likely to be dragged on the print roller when the print roller is rotated. The stripper blade 32 has an edge 47 extending downstream of the printhead beyond the periphery of the print roller 27 to lift the label. The blade is preferably aligned with the printer exit slot. As a result, the label can be guided through the opening 20 to, for example, the outside of the printer. The angle of the stripper blade, i.e. the angle of edge 47, is also<u style="single">Guide labels to the outside of the printer</u><u style="single">With the desired angle</u>The blades that can be made can, if desired, extend within the opening 20 or penetrate the opening 20. The stripper blade mounting bar is located at either the upstream position of the print roller as shown by bar 38 in FIG. 2A or the downstream position of the print roller as shown by bar 45 in FIG. 2B. Attached to. The mounting bar holds the stripper blade in place as the print roller rotates. FIG. 2B shows an embodiment in which the stripper blade 32 has a fork shape and is mounted on the downstream side of the printhead. The bar 45 is attached to the frame 52 and penetrates the through hole 40 of the stripper blade. If the bar 45 is in contact with the label or liner, the bar can have a lubricious coating or a non-adhesive coating 42. This prevents the adhesive surface 25 of the liner from sticking to the bar. In a preferred embodiment, the coating 42 has a non-adhesive surface. When using lined label stock, the mounting bar 45 also acts as a peeling bar for stripping the label from the label and guiding the liner towards the additional take-up reel 44 as shown in FIG. .. Figure 2C shows the stripper blade 32,<u style="single">Wa</u>The wire showing the third embodiment in the case of ear can have a spiral spring portion extending in the recess. The spiral spring portion urges the tip of the spring to abut against the label. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the wire wraps around the shaft of the print roller and contacts from the shaft.<u style="single">line</u>It can extend outward in the direction. The pins hold the wire in place (in this case, the wire is straight except for the area surrounding the shaft) and prevent the wire from rotating as the print roller rotates. Can be provided. The release wire can be cantilevered or spring urged. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the printer 16 inside the frame 52. The printer includes a play roller 48 that acts as a guide to the label and an additional take-up reel 44 for lined stock. The take-up reel 44 has a key 56 for fixing the liner when the liner is taken up. In addition, the printer includes a step motor assembly 58 that drives the print rollers via a timing belt 64. The step motor assembly 58 also drives the pulley 62 and the take-up pulley 66 that drive the take-up reel 44 via the drive belt 60. The printer 16 includes a heat print head 24 having a conventional configuration, which is arranged in the vicinity of the print roller 27. At the time of printing, the print head 24 is urged to abut the label on the surface of the print roller 27. As a result, a small linear pressure is applied to the print roller. Although thermal printheads are illustrated here, inkjet printer systems and laser printer systems can be used. It is conveyed in the printer by a print roller driven by a step motor 58. The operation of the print roller works with the print head so that the label is advanced each time the label is printed. The label is guided outward of slot opening 20 by stripper blades and / or associated bars. On the outside of the slot opening 20, the user can strip the printed label from the rollers on the strip 50. As shown in FIG. 5, the print roller is preferably heated. It is made of a material that can be compressed by a small linear pressure applied from the lint head 24. As a result, the surface of the roll can be flattened in the vicinity of the print line, and the print line can be made slightly wider. It will be easily understood that this flattening can increase the degree of freedom of alignment of the printhead with respect to the print rollers. The surface of the print roller is preferably composed of a soft material, such as Dow HS2, which is a silicone material with a Shore A hardness of 10, or other equivalent soft material, such as a urethane elastic body. It is composed of an elastic body. It will be appreciated that the harder the material that forms the surface of the print roller, the narrower the flattening width and the more carefully the print head must be aligned with the print roller. It has been found that it is not desirable to form the entire print roller from a soft elastic body that is preferable for forming the surface of the print roller. If the entire print roller is made of such a soft elastic material, the print roller will twist inward unacceptably, compressing the roller and deforming the print image. It will generate torque. As shown in FIG. 5, the Dow 3120 has a Shore A hardness of 60 inside the roller on the shaft 28 to avoid excessive angular rotation and twisting of the print roller. A harder elastic body 53, such as a silicon material, is used, and a softer material 54 (described above) is used on the outer surface of the roller. This is preferable as a double hardness roller. As a result, a roller that is rigid against twisting is formed, and print deformation due to the soft outer layer can be reduced. The surface of the inner material can be roughened to aid the adhesion of the inner material to the soft outer material. Alternatively, the adhesive can be fixed on the surface of the inner material. The outer material is then molded using a Teflon-coated mold. It has also been found that roughening the surface of the print roller is effective in pulling the linerless label adhesive away from the roller. A soft material can block above the stripper blade at the print line when pressure is applied from the print head, as shown in FIG. 6A. However, the rollers are robust enough for label printing and transport. When the printer 16 is operating, the label stock 23 is supplied from the supply roll 22 onto the play roller 48 toward the print roller 27. In this embodiment, the print roller 27 is driven by the step motor 58 via a drive mechanism with a pulley or belt system, as described above. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the configuration of the drive mechanism is not important to the present invention and that other drive mechanisms, including gear mechanisms, can be used. It will also be understood that rollers other than print rollers may be driven. However, it will probably complicate the printer and make it expensive. In summary, when the label stock is fed between the printhead 24 and the print roller 27, the label is tentatively glued to the roller and the appropriate letters and symbols are printed on the label. The print surface 23 of the label stock faces the print head while looking downward at the print head 24. are doing. At the same time, the adhesive surface 25 of the label stock faces the print roller 27. The operation of the printhead and step motor is controlled so that the label is stopped, printed, and further advanced, corresponding to multiple processes in which all desired sales information is printed on the label. When the label is advanced by the print roller, the stripper blade 32 acts like a slant that lifts the label 22 from the print roller 27, as it were. Proper alignment of the stripper blades can guide the label towards slot 20. At slot 20, the label is ejected directly from the printer 16. A peel strip 50 is provided to allow the label to be stripped from the rest of the label stock for disconnection from the printer. The label is then affixed to the product. The peel strip can be replaced with a knife or other cutting or separating mechanism. The print rollers described above have been described as having recesses. Instead of an annular sleeve having a notched recess, a plurality of annular sleeves of the same diameter but spaced apart in the axial direction can be used around the print roller axis. In this case, the spacing between the sleeves will form a recess in which the stripper blades should be placed. In addition, a recess can be formed in the shaft itself. The stripper assembly according to the invention can very effectively remove the label from the surface of the print roller, allowing the label to remain adhered overnight, yet the next day by the stripper blade. Can be peeled off. The present invention has been described in detail by reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention. It will be appreciated that modifications and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. The operation of the step motor is controlled so that the label is stopped, printed and further advanced, corresponding to multiple processes in which all desired sales information is printed on the label. When the label is advanced by the print roller, the stripper blade 32 acts like a slant that lifts the label 22 from the print roller 27, as it were. Proper alignment of the stripper blades can guide the label towards slot 20. At slot 20, the label is ejected directly from the printer 16. A peel strip 50 is provided to allow the label to be stripped from the rest of the label stock for disconnection from the printer. The label is then affixed to the product. The peel strip can be replaced with a knife or other cutting or separating mechanism. The print rollers described above have been described as having recesses. Instead of an annular sleeve having a notched recess, a plurality of annular sleeves of the same diameter but spaced apart in the axial direction can be used around the print roller axis. In this case, the spacing between the sleeves will form a recess in which the stripper blades should be placed. In addition, a recess can be formed in the shaft itself. The stripper assembly according to the invention can very effectively remove the label from the surface of the print roller, allowing the label to remain adhered overnight, yet the next day by the stripper blade. Can be peeled off. The present invention has been described in detail by reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention. It will be appreciated that modifications and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. The operation of the step motor is controlled so that the label is stopped, printed and further advanced, corresponding to multiple processes in which all desired sales information is printed on the label. When the label is advanced by the print roller, the stripper blade 32 acts like a slant that lifts the label 22 from the print roller 27, as it were. Proper alignment of the stripper blades can guide the label towards slot 20. At slot 20, the label is ejected directly from the printer 16. A peel strip 50 is provided to allow the label to be stripped from the rest of the label stock for disconnection from the printer. The label is then affixed to the product. The peel strip can be replaced with a knife or other cutting or separating mechanism. The print rollers described above have been described as having recesses. Instead of an annular sleeve having a notched recess, a plurality of annular sleeves of the same diameter but spaced apart in the axial direction can be used around the print roller axis. In this case, the spacing between the sleeves will form a recess in which the stripper blades should be placed. In addition, a recess can be formed in the shaft itself. The stripper assembly according to the invention can very effectively remove the label from the surface of the print roller, allowing the label to remain adhered overnight, yet the next day by the stripper blade. Can be peeled off. The present invention has been described in detail by reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention. It will be appreciated that modifications and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. The ripper blade 32 functions, so to speak, as an inclined body that lifts the label 22 from the print roller 27. Proper alignment of the stripper blades can guide the label towards slot 20. At slot 20, the label is ejected directly from the printer 16. A peel strip 50 is provided to allow the label to be stripped from the rest of the label stock for disconnection from the printer. The label is then affixed to the product. The peel strip can be replaced with a knife or other cutting or separating mechanism. The print rollers described above have been described as having recesses. Instead of an annular sleeve having a notched recess, a plurality of annular sleeves of the same diameter but spaced apart in the axial direction can be used around the print roller axis. In this case, the spacing between the sleeves will form a recess in which the stripper blades should be placed. In addition, a recess can be formed in the shaft itself. The stripper assembly according to the invention can very effectively remove the label from the surface of the print roller, allowing the label to remain adhered overnight, yet the next day by the stripper blade. Can be peeled off. The present invention has been described in detail by reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention. It will be appreciated that modifications and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. The ripper blade 32 functions, so to speak, as an inclined body that lifts the label 22 from the print roller 27. Proper alignment of the stripper blades can guide the label towards slot 20. At slot 20, the label is ejected directly from the printer 16. A peel strip 50 is provided to allow the label to be stripped from the rest of the label stock for disconnection from the printer. The label is then affixed to the product. The peel strip can be replaced with a knife or other cutting or separating mechanism. The print rollers described above have been described as having recesses. Instead of an annular sleeve having a notched recess, a plurality of annular sleeves of the same diameter but spaced apart in the axial direction can be used around the print roller axis. In this case, the spacing between the sleeves will form a recess in which the stripper blades should be placed. In addition, a recess can be formed in the shaft itself. The stripper assembly according to the invention can very effectively remove the label from the surface of the print roller, allowing the label to remain adhered overnight, yet the next day by the stripper blade. Can be peeled off. The present invention has been described in detail by reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention. It will be appreciated that modifications and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. Be done. The peel strip can be replaced with a knife or other cutting or separating mechanism. The print rollers described above have been described as having recesses. Instead of an annular sleeve having a notched recess, a plurality of annular sleeves of the same diameter but spaced apart in the axial direction can be used around the print roller axis. In this case, the spacing between the sleeves will form a recess in which the stripper blades should be placed. In addition, a recess can be formed in the shaft itself. The stripper assembly according to the invention can very effectively remove the label from the surface of the print roller, allowing the label to remain adhered overnight, yet the next day by the stripper blade. Can be peeled off. The present invention has been described in detail by reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention. It will be appreciated that modifications and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. Be done. The peel strip can be replaced with a knife or other cutting or separating mechanism. The print rollers described above have been described as having recesses. Instead of an annular sleeve having a notched recess, a plurality of annular sleeves of the same diameter but spaced apart in the axial direction can be used around the print roller axis. In this case, the spacing between the sleeves will form a recess in which the stripper blades should be placed. In addition, a recess can be formed in the shaft itself. The stripper assembly according to the invention can very effectively remove the label from the surface of the print roller, allowing the label to remain adhered overnight, yet the next day by the stripper blade. Can be peeled off. The present invention has been described in detail by reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention. It will be appreciated that modifications and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.